macOS
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brew install atari800provider-native install command
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Install atari800 with Homebrew
Atari 8-bit machine emulator. Version 7.1.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-26.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Atari 8-bit machine emulator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- atari800
- cart
history
Project history and usage
Atari800 is a long-running free and portable emulator for Atari 8-bit computers and the Atari 5200 console. It matters to package managers because it is both a retro-gaming executable and a preservation/development tool that spans Unix, Linux, Windows, DOS, Amiga, Atari, Dreamcast, Android, Raspberry Pi, SDL, curses, and embeddable library builds.
Project history
The official README credits David Firth for the original 1995 emulator and the Atari800 Development Team from 1998 onward. Its stated goal is a freely distributable portable emulator with source available, covering machines from the Atari 400/800 through XL/XE models, XE Game System, and 5200 SuperSystem.
The project accumulated a wide emulation surface: cycle-exact 6502, ANTIC, GTIA, POKEY behavior; many RAM expansions; disk, cartridge, cassette, printer, H: host filesystem, R: serial/network, MIO and Black Box emulation; save states; screenshots; audio/video recording; and libatari800 for embedding. The version 7.0.0 docs show the project still being actively modernized in 2026.
Adoption history
Atari800’s adoption predates GitHub; the current Git history starts in 2000 with imported project history and early tagged releases such as ATARI800_0_8_7. In package-manager terms it is a classic portable C project that became easy to build across Unix-like systems, then accumulated Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, MacPorts, and Nix packaging in the supplied metadata.
Its importance is not only playing games. The emulator is part of Atari 8-bit software development workflows because it can load executables, disk images, cartridge images, BASIC programs, tapes, and save states; it also cooperates with assemblers and cross-development tooling.
How it is used
Typical users run `atari800 [options] [filenames]`, passing ATR/XFD/DCM/PRO/ATX disk images, XEX/COM/BAS/LST programs, cartridge ROM/CART files, CAS tapes, or saved states. The emulator requires Atari ROM images unless using newer auto-download behavior, and the first run creates or discovers configuration so ROM paths can be reused.
Version 7.0.0 added built-in Internet downloads for missing OS/BASIC ROMs and zipped disk images, portable mode, and a documented config search order covering explicit `--config`, portable executable-local config, the home default, fallback, and system-wide config.
Why package nerds care
Atari800 is the sort of package that exposes the whole history of open-source packaging: generated configure scripts, optional zlib/libpng/libmp3lame features, SDL target migration, platform-specific front ends, ROM licensing caveats, and a CLI that doubles as a desktop emulator and automated retro-computing test bed.
Timeline
- 1995: David Firth copyright and original Atari800 emulator lineage.
- 1998: Atari800 Development Team copyright period begins.
- 2000: Imported Git history begins with early emulator revisions.
- 2026: v6.0.0 made SDL2 the primary SDL target and added NetSIO/FujiNet support.
- 2026: v7.0.0 added built-in Internet downloads, portable mode, and revised config search order.
Related projects
- Related projects and formats include Atari800Win, Atari++, Altirra-style development workflows, FujiNet/NetSIO, Atari 8-bit ROM and disk-image collections, and cross-assemblers such as ATasm.
Sources
- Official git metadata from https://github.com/atari800/atari800.git
- https://github.com/atari800/atari800/blob/master/DOC/INSTALL
- https://github.com/atari800/atari800/blob/master/DOC/README
- https://github.com/atari800/atari800/blob/master/DOC/USAGE
- https://github.com/atari800/atari800/releases.atom
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
<path passed to -config><portable executable directory>/.atari800.cfg~/.atari800.cfg/etc/atari800.cfg
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
atari800 | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
cart | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version7.1.2
manager updated2026-07-26
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:atari800 |
|---|---|
| Version | 7.1.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://atari800.github.io/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/atari800/atari800 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-26T20:36:52Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation